Christmas Pole Lima Bean, 1840 Heirloom
from $3.25
We Also knowns as Large Speckled Calico, this variety was first cultivated in the United States around 1840 and produces beautiful, quarter-sized, fat white seeds with maroon spots and swirls. It has a rich flavor and can be used as shell lima bean or dry bean. Heavy yields, bears even during extreme heat. Pole habit, 75-100 dys.
Pole bean
Large Maroon and White Speckled Seeds
Performs well in extreme heat
Shelling and Dry bean
75-100 days
50 seeds per packet
Instructions -
Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Full Sun
Eastern Shore Butterbean, Lima, Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
The Seed Savers Exchange - Easternshore Butterbean is a lima bean. This is a new one for me so I am going to have to wait until Seedsavers releases more information.
50 seeds per packet
Instructions -
Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Full Sun
German Butterbean, Lima, 1800's Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
It's here and new for 2024! The Seed Savers Exchange - Seed Savers Exchange staff gave this vigorously climbing lima bean top marks! Its sweet, moist, and juicy beans have a distinctive, buttery taste and a smooth, creamy texture. Seed Savers Exchange received this variety in 1994 from William Rastetter of Indiana, who in turn acquired it sometime before 1968 from a friend named Flossie (Canfield) Drake, also of Indiana. These lima beans were likely grown by Flossie's mother, Margaret (Mendel) Canfield, in Dearborn County, Indiana, in the late 1800s. This variety matured late when grown at SSE's Heritage Farm in northeast Iowa. Pole habitat. 60-79 days. Organic.
50 seeds per packet
Instructions -
Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Full Sun
Henderson Bush Lima Bean, 1889 Heirloom
$3.45
$3.95
The Seed Savers Exchange - (aka Dwarf Sieva) Introduced in 1889 by Peter Henderson Company of New York. A dwarf lima that is very early, hardy, productive, and disease resistant. Produces small creamy white limas for the home gardener and canner that are distinct in color and excellent in quality. Desirable and dependable in adverse conditions. Bush habit, 60-75 days.
Characteristics:
Bush bean
Seeds are white and small
Disease resistant
Shelling and Dry bean
60-75 days
50 seeds per packet
Instructions - Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Full Sun
Sieva Lima Bean, 1700's Heirloom, Organic
$3.45
$3.95
Now Shipping - Get your order in today as these go fast and sell out so quickly!
The Seed Savers Exchange - also known as Small White, Carolina). Extremely early pole lima that has been popular for hundreds of years. Excellent in the South but also grows well in the North where it matures in cooler conditions. Dark green 9-10' vines climb vigorously. Heavy yields of light green 3" pods with small chalky white seeds. Delicious butter bean flavor. Pole Bean Habit, 70-89 days.
Characteristics:
Pole bean
Seeds are white and small
10-89 days
50 seeds per packet
Instructions -
Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Full Sun
Snow on the Mountain Lima Bean, Organic
$3.45
$3.95
The Seed Savers Exchange -
The large beans of this vigorous pole lima variety are quite tasty, with the dry beans having a sweet, walnut flavor when cooked. Slightly curved, sometimes twisted pods grow 4-4.5" long and contain three to four seeds each. Reverend Roy Blount of Washington Parish, Louisiana, shared this early-maturing variety with Seed Savers Exchange member John Coykendall, who gave it to SSE. It has been in Blount’s family since the 1880s but reportedly dates back to at least the 1860s. 80 days.
Characteristics:
From the Collection for 2023
Organic
Historic Variety
Pole lima
Slightly curved to twisted pods
80 days
25 Seeds
Instructions -
Lima beans thrive in hot temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Seeds will germinate in 7-18 days. Limas prefer full sun.
Direct Seed: 2" apart
Seed Depth: 1"
Rows Apart: 36-48"
Support: trellis, tepee, or fencing
Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability
Thorogreen Bush Lima Bean, Organic
$3.45
$3.75
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Ready to harvest in 60 days, immerse yourself in the vintage charm of this 1941 variety, carefully selected from Henderson Bush. A beloved classic, renowned for its concentrated pod set ideal for canning and freezing. Easy to cultivate, it boasts a delightful combination of good flavor and texture. Bearing resemblance to Henderson Bush, this variant features 3-4 medium seeds per pod. Notably, it outshines with earlier maturity, shorter 18-inch plants, and light green seeds.
Certified Organic
Heirloom
3-4 medium-sized light green seeds per pod
80-90 days to bloom
14 grams or ~30 Seeds
Instructions - Limas need warm soils, so wait to direct sow until at least 2 weeks after the last frost. Plant seeds 2-3 in. apart, thinning to 4-6 in. Be sure the soil is well drained. Limas can be used fresh when beans fill the pod, or they can be left to dry in the pod to be used as dried beans.
Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability
Violet's Multicolored Butterbeans Pole Lima Bean, Organic
$3.25
$3.75
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Banks County, GA, saved by 4 generations of Violet Brady Westbrook’s family. Introduced 2009 by SESE. A rainbow of seed colors - cream, beige, red-brown, and violet-purple, with speckles and swirls. Small seeds have great flavor, good fresh or dried. 3-5 in. pods.
Certified Organic
Heirloom
Especially well-suited to the South-East
From Small Farms
Good Disease and drought resistant
80-90 days to bloom
Instructions - Limas need warm soils, so wait to direct sow until at least 2 weeks after the last frost. Plant seeds 2-3 in. apart, thinning to 4-6 in. Be sure the soil is well drained. Limas can be used fresh when beans fill the pod, or they can be left to dry in the pod to be used as dried beans.
Firefly Farm & Mercantile may substitute seed vendors from time to time because of the availability
Wick's Lima Bean pre 1930's Heirloom, Organic
$3.25
$3.75
The Seed Savers Exchange - In 2004 Helen & H. Lee Thomas of West Virginia donated this variety to SSE. They received the seeds from H. Lee’s grandfather, Wick B. Smith of Sandyville, West Virginia, who had grown this variety since at least the 1930s. Seeds are either white with dark purple mottling or solid purple. The fresh shelling limas are sweet, while dry limas are also nutty. Pole habit, 90-110 days.
Characteristics:
Organic
Pole bean
Slightly curved pods
Flat seeds are either white with dark purple mottling or solid purple
Fresh shelling limas are sweet, dry limas are nutty tasting
90-100 days to dry beans
Instructions - Sow seeds outdoors after the danger of frost has passed and soil and air temperatures have warmed. Harvest frequently to increase yield. Pods can be left on the vine to mature and then harvested as dry beans.
Direct Seed 2" apart
Planting Depth 1"
Full Sun